Like the salad, personal pizzas are an easy way for everyone to get what they want! Many of the personal pizza toppings are similar to those for the salad, and all the same they are all crucial to the development of our current Martian society.

Why Pizza?

As stated above, the optional topping that go on top of your personal pizzas are very similar to those seen in the salad blog! Because of this, the pizza is another great way to pay respects to the vegetables that have benefited the creation of our current Martian ecosystem. However, the personal pizza includes two key ingredients that are not included in salads. These two ingredients are wheat and milk. 

Wheat is another plant that has played a significant role in the transformation of this red planet. Like many other plants, wheat was grown in the vertical farming compartments. Wheat is typically taken and ground into flour which can be used to make many dishes including bread, pasta, and, as seen here, dough! Furthermore, wheat is not only consumed by humans, but also other animals. When large animals such as cattle and sheep were first introduced to Martian society, wheat was used to supplement their diets, allowing for these animals the thrive!

On the topic of cattle, the other key ingredient for this dish is milk! Without milk, the pizza as we know it would not exist due to the lack of cheese. Additionally, cattle have played a number of other roles for our society. For example, the grazing style of animals such as cattle and sheep allows for the maintenance of top soil. Furthermore, they provide a natural fertilizer (yuck!). As disturbing as it sounds, this by itself has been a crucial component in changing the Martian soil into nutrient rich soil that we have built our lives upon!

Instructions:

Dough:

Due to the thinner atmosphere and reduced gravitational forces experienced on Mars, the dough will rise a lot faster! Be sure to keep an eye on it.

1. Put warm water into a large bowl. Add the yeast and allow it to activate. This should take about 7 minutes.
2. Add the honey and olive oil into the bowl. Whisk so the three have thoroughly combined. 
3. Add the flour and then the salt. Knead the dough until the ingredients have been well combined. (The dough should be a little bit sticky). 
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to rise. Leave it till the volume has doubled. This should take between 20 to 30 minutes given the weaker atmosphere and gravitational forces of Mars!

Sauce:

If marinara sauce is not available, be sure to prepare a homemade batch! This can easily be done by using the instructions below:

1. Cut up a 1/3 cup of white onion and finely mince 4 cloves of garlic.
2. Sauté the onions in a large saucepan with some olive oil over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes. 
   
3. Add the garlic and continue to Sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add 28 ounces of finely diced tomatoes (with juice) to the saucepan. Additionally add in oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir while gently mashing the tomatoes into a paste. 
5. Add 3 large basil sprigs and stir until all of the ingredients are combined. 
6. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes. 
7. Remove the basil springs and season to taste!

For the sauce:

1. Add the sauce into a sauce pan with the minced garlic.
2. Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture has reduced by a third. Make sure the sauce is thick, otherwise the pizza will be soggy!

Personal Pizzas

Lay out all of the ingredients so that everyone can create their own personal pizza! 

1. Cut the dough into three even sections.
2. Form each section into 8'' round pizza crusts.
3. Spread pizza sauce on the pizza dough, leaving about a half inch border for the crust.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce.
5. Add any additional toppings!
6. Oil a baking sheet and place the pizzas on top. 
7. Place the baking sheet into the oven at 415 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the crust begins to crisp and brown. 
8. Enjoy!

At last, the personal pizzas are complete! Prepare the table and sit everyone down for a nice Week of the Dead meal!

References

"Agriculture Wheat: Feeding Wheat to Cattle." Manitoba Nutrition Update, vol. 15 No. 3, Feb. 2005, https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/production/ beef/print,wheat-feeding-wheat-to-cattle-.html. Accessed 4 May 2020.

Ali. "Marinara Sauce." Gimme Some Oven, 7 Apr. 2020, https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/marinara-sauce-recipe/. Accessed 4 May 2020.

Kravchuk, Natasha. "Homemade Individual Pizzas." Natasha's Kitchen, 22 May. 2014, https://natashaskitchen.com/homemade-individual-pizzas-and-giveaway/. Accessed 4 May 2020.

Radke, Amanda. "Cattle Grazing Is Critical for a Healthy Ecosystem." Beef Magazine, 7 May. 2019, https://www.beefmagazine.com/beef/cattle-grazing-critical-healthy-ecosystem. Accessed 4 May 2020.

(Page By: Tyler Kung)